THE LORD SPOKE (June 7)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: II Kings 24-25

Babylonian Press - Dateline: March 16, 597
The Egyptian army has been driven out once and for all (24:7) and after a three-month siege, Jerusalem has been destroyed (24:8). King Jehoiachin has been deposed and taken prisoner (24:12) and the Temple of Jehovah ransacked (24:13). Some 10,000 inhabitants, including 7,000 elite forces and 1,000 leading citizens, have been taken captive (24:14,16). A puppet king named Mattaniah (AKA Zedekiah) was set up by Nebuchadnezzar and his generals (24:17). He is known to be weak and indecisive (Jer. 38:5,19) but it is hoped that he will support the Babylonian regime.

Babylonian Press - Dateline: July 18, 586
After further Judean rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar's second campaign (which began on January 15, 588) has finally brought Jerusalem and the Judean kingdom to its knees. Severe famine (25:3) and the breach of the city walls (25:4) led to the precipitous flight of King Zedekiah and the whole Judean army (25:4-5). After his capture near Jericho and the execution of the royal family at Riblah, Zedekiah's eyes were gouged out and he has been brought to Babylon as a captive (25:5-7).

Babylonian Press - Dateline: August 14, 586
Nebuzaradan, commander of Nebuchadnezzar's Imperial Guard, returned to Jerusalem to tear down the rest of the walls, burn the Temple, the Royal Palace, and every important building in the city (25:8-10). Large quantities of money (gold, silver, and bronze) have been added to the Babylonian Royal Treasury and innumerable objects of artistic and historical value have been placed in the Babylonian Museum (25:13-17). All the leading citizens have been executed (25:18-21), leaving only a skeleton crew of hoi polloi and an unreliable administrator named Gedaliah to continue sending tribute to the royal coffers (25:12,22-24).

Babylonian Press - Dateline: March 22, 561
It is reported that the Prophet Jeremiah, several army officers, many inhabitants of all ages, and an unknown number of leading citizens escaped to Egypt. This was the same prophet that had earlier predicted our army's success but we have heard that he has now changed his tune. Our reporters in Egypt obtained this comment from Jeremiah: Babylon will be captured.... [Persia] will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it.... In those days...the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten. (Jer. 50:2-5)

To read the full text of Jeremiah's statement, see our web site. Though we were previously informed that our destruction of Jerusalem was "in accordance with the word of the Lord" as "proclaimed [by] the prophets" (24:2) and that "the Lord was not willing to forgive" (24:4), it now seems that there was a previously binding agreement that over-rode this temporary injunction. It appears we have not yet heard the last of those Jews in Jerusalem.

Indeed!


New Testament: II Corinthians 9

Money - Part II

Again, it’s so contrary to common thinking or practice. The more you give, the more you have! “Whosoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (II Cor. 9:6). This may have been an ancient proverb but it’s not one of the many that are included in the book of Proverbs. Take a look as some of those:

• 3:9 - Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.
• 6:11 - (to the sluggard) Poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
• 10:4 - Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
• 10:22 - The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
• 11:25 - A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
• 11:28 - Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
• 13:11 - Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.
• 13:22 - A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.
• 14:31 - He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
• 15:16 - Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.
• 19:17 - He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.
• 20:21 - An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.
• 21:6 - A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.
• 22:7 - The borrower is servant to the lender.
• 22:16 - He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich - both come to poverty.
• 23:4 - Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
• 28:19 - he who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
• 29:22 - A stingy man is eager to get rich and is unaware that poverty awaits him.

During the “laymen’s missionary movement” of 1906, one of the leaders, J. Campbell White said, “If a man is growing large in wealth, nothing but constant giving can keep him from growing small in soul.” Evidence for that is so readily available. It’s those who give most that live best.

God has promised to provide our needs but He delights in a generous soul and has promised to bless way beyond any point of need those who give freely. Just as we saw in the last chapter, it’s the heart attitude that counts:

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (II Cor. 9:7)

That certainly removes giving from any consideration of “paying a tithe”. In fact, it would probably be better to determine your giving at either 9% or 11% just to avoid any appearance of paying a debt. But why stop at 10%? Rare would be the modern American who couldn’t live quite well on 90%.

In exchange you have God’s promise to “supply and increase your store of seed and [to] enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (II Cor. 9:10).